“You are worried about me,” he whispered and he could not hide the gleefulness in his tone.
Theodora froze then huffed. “I most certainly am not!”
An unfamiliar feeling flickered in his chest. It was foreign, and disarming.
No one worries about me. Not like this. Not ever.
He smothered the feeling with a crooked smile.
“You know,” he drawled, “I lost my first fight because of you.”
Her eyes widened. “You are blaming these injuries onme?”
“You gasped,” he said pointedly. “And that was very distracting.”
“You…you cannot blame me for your lack of focus!” She sputtered.
“I expected a warmer reaction,” he teased. “Perhaps some applause. A swoon or something flattering.”
“Alexander,” she warned.
She opened her mouth to argue again but her eyes flicked down to his lips just for a second. Alexander noticed and reached for her, but Theodora immediately spun away, nearly tripping over her own cloak as she rushed towards the street.
“You must stop running away from me,” he said lightly as he followed her, and easily caught up.
“I am not running away from you! I am simply leaving.”
“She says as she picks up the pace,” he muttered under his breath.
Theodora stopped in her tracks and shot him a murderous look.
“Let me take you home, Theo. It is the least I can do for you,” Alexander said softly.
“No,” she retorted stubbornly and continued walking.
Alexander refused to let her go. He needed more time with her, and she was not making it easy. But that was what intrigued him. Theodora challenged him more than any fight he endured, and he was not ashamed to admit that he enjoyed every second of it.
“Theo, it is late,” he said more sternly.
“I can manage.”
Alexander exhaled loudly. “It is not safe.”
She hesitated and looked around the dark alley. Alexander noticed the slight tension in her back before she turned to face him again. Her lips were parted and her cheeks were red from her effort to escape him.
How I would love to rip that cloak off her.
“Theo…” His voice sounded rougher than expected. “Iamtaking you home, whether you like it or not.”
* * *
“You are unreasonable,” Theodora muttered as Alexander bowed and offered her his arm.
It felt as though they were leaving a prestigious ball and not the darkened alley opposite the bloody fighting ring. Alexander ignored her remark, but his expression bordered on arrogance and his tempting lips curled at the corners, triumphantly.Theodora hesitated for a second before placing her hand on his sleeve. Even through the fabric, she felt the solid warmth of him and the coiled strength beneath his old bruises. She wondered how he remained so steady after that horrendous fight.
“And you are beautiful, even in that disguise.” Alexander grinned down at her.
Her pulse jumped when his fingers brushed against her hand. She ignored the sudden rush of heat that flowed through her entire body.
